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Thai Pod
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
2015 NE Broadway StPortland, OR 97232
Neighborhoods: Northeast Portland, Irvington
(503) 493-1122
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
47 reviews for Thai Pod
Review Highlights
"love their pad see ew and everything is reasonably priced."
(in 3 reviews)
"I highly recommend the Panang Curry and the Drunken Noodles."
(in 4 reviews)
"The food and service is always great."
(in 3 reviews)
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47 reviews in English
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Review from Racheal K.
Gresham, OR
1/5/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Fast service, great for a quick lunch pick up.
Love the yellow curry -
Review from Evelyn S.
12/14/2011
I really wanted to give this place a good review but I simply can't based on what I ordered.
It is possible that the Drunken Noodles with Chicken is something that don't do well, or that the chef was having an off day, but my food was really not very good.
The flavor of the dish was fine, the noodles and veggies were overcooked and the chicken was not good tasting and a bit on the tough side.
The service was very friendly and attentive. However, although there were only two other parties of two each, and we were a party of 4, our dishes were brought out in a staggered manner, first two, then a few minutes later one more, than another few minutes for the 4th person to get served.
I will not be rushing back anytime soon. -
Review from Shovelle S.
Portland, OR
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Using my trusty yelp app while driving(i do that sometimes) we followed the directions to the closest thai place for lunch. It was a saturday and didnt seem too busy so they were pretty quick getting our order to us and refilling our water.
I ordered the yellow curry, knowing I need to branch out, expecting it to be spot on. I have to say it wasn't. Something was missing what was it? um..yeah, flavor. I fought against it, but did the dreaded slap in the face move and asked for soy sauce to zoosh it up a notch. a notch maybe..It made it better but still off the mark. We weren't asked how spicy we wanted it..that could've been my first clue. My husband did order the pad thai, which he said was pretty good but that's about all I can take from our trip to Thai Pod. A-ok. Maybe next time I'll try something else if I make it there again. -
Review from Brian W.
Portland, OR
7/25/2011
I got pahad thai noodles to go and if that isn't the most basic dish/deciding factor for a Thai place then what is. The noodles were a ball of mush. They forgot the peanuts and my side veg for 4$ was uncooked cabbage overcooked broccoli and carrot. Sad. Is it that hard to cook noodles well. Get with the program chef....
Hopefully it was an off day.
Signing off with a good note: I am struggling , I can not. -
Review from Annaliza S.
Portland, OR
10/5/2011
We ordered the vegetarian pad thai to go and it was AMAZING. it tasted very authentic and had just enough spice. The service was quick. We called in our order and in less the 10 minutes it was ready for us. The crispy egg rolls are delish as well. Not heavy and oily. Perfectly made!
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Review from brandi p.
12/31/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm really surprised that in 32 reviews only two have mentioned the glaring problem at Thai Pod: the bathroom situation.
We were three, fresh off the 32 oz. mason jar cocktails at Swift lounge across the street and definitely on the sloshy side. One of us made it into the one and only bathroom (through the kitchen, down some stairs) before an employee took over and set up camp... leaving two of us fidgeting in our chairs for the next thirty minutes.
It wasn't like we were mad at him, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do (and do, apparently) right? But only one bathroom, and a bathroom that is such a production to get to at that, is really annoying, and more than a little awkward (as every trip up to see if it was available essentially alerted the entire dining room that we were, indeed, waiting to pee.)
Harrumph. The food (kee mao with shrimp, tom kah and beef and broccoli) was all pretty good. Not slap-yer-momma good, but good. Super reasonably priced. Just pee before you go. -
Review from Christopher B.
Portland, OR
8/8/2011
I ordered the Thai Basil Rice Stir Fry... what I got was a mush of rice and overcooked veggies. I am disgusted. It looks like risotto... in my world of Thai food that's not ok. The flavor was close but like none of the spices were fresh? I cant place it...
My friend ordered the Pad Thai and offered to share hers with me since it was obvious I wouldn't touch mine. To be fair, it was unlike any Pad Thai I have ever had. To be honest, it tasted like cafeteria food. It was bright orange and very vinegary.
The strange thing is... I have been there and had good food before.... what happened?
I will not be back. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Vancouver, WA
2/19/2011
Getting my Thai Pod fix has become a Thursday night tradition. Everything I've ordered so far has been great, but particularly love their Paeng Curry. The vegetables are fresh and the curry is always very nice. The owner and her daughter are lovely too.
True fact about the crazy bathroom situation though (brandi p.). :) -
Review from Mac M.
11/3/2010
This was the destination for an early Thai dinner for me and my son. The location has seen many hard-luck restaurants over the years (one of which hosted my very first date...yeesh I am so old) that have been decent, but never worked out.
Thai Pod is a pretty decent place - warm and comfy inside even if the service is slow. I got the Pad Se Ew. The noodles were cooked perfectly, the sweet soy sauce mixed well with the brocolli and tofu, and they give you a lot of food for the price. I really hope this place works for Thai Pod, and they can avoid the curse of 21st and Broadway! -
Review from cassandra c.
Portland, OR
10/31/2010 1 Check-in Here
I was very impressed by the variety on the menu. You can pretty much order anything "thai" related here. I've never been to Thailand but I've seen a lot of Thai menus and this topped them all. Curries, noodles, rice dishes...it was extensive. Spelling, not a strong point. Carrets. Tamatos. Ya know.
Ordered pad thai (3/4 spicy points) and found it to be somewhat bland. Portion size was pretty big, I had lots of leftovers. It arrived hot, spiced and with lots of peanuts. I also thought it was interesting that they served it with cooked and raw bean sprouts. Asked for more lime.
I ordered the hot wings which were delicious, served with sweet chili sauce.
I managed to avoid the restroom labyrinth fiasco palooza.
When the check arrived, I thought, "...for that?" It was okay but I proably won't go back. It was okay but nothing stellar. I take that back, the wings were AWESOME but not enough to draw me in on their own. -
Review from Danny O.
5/27/2011
Quite possibly the most unflavored Thai food I have ever eaten. Service was fine, but the food was so blah I regret having a group order there for dinner. The owner is super nice though. So there you have it! If you like pad thai then this place is for you.
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Review from Katie S.
Seattle, WA
8/25/2010
I have been here 3 times in the last week and a half and every time I get the large tom kha soup. Its always perfect. Do yourself a favor and just get it. Thank me later.
Its so good I cant avoid ordering it and so I never try anything else :( -
Review from Andy W.
7/7/2008
Enough with the puns on "Thai," people! Thai Noon, Typhoon, My Thai, Beau Thai, Thai Rack... Actually, I think that last one is a tie store called Tie Rack, but either way, it's a terrible name, given the US's military engagement in Iraq, the MAD TV spoof on the iRack, and GOB's doomed housing development ("solid as a rock").
Although, if I ever open up a Thai restaurant of my own, I will be calling it "Thai am the Walrus." All the wait staff will dress like egg men, and there will be an item on the menu called moo goo g'joob (yeah, I know it's a Cantonese dish; shut up, smarty pants).
Anyway, naming conventions aside, Thai Pod is a decent restaurant, which is saying something, considering the vast number of Thai restaurants here. It has a great atmosphere, with checkered floors and windows that seem bigger than they are. The staff is pleasant and helpful, and, quite importantly, they are well-equipped to handle take-out orders.
The food is nothing terribly special; just good quality Thai food. The great danger with curry dishes is that the chicken can dry out and the veggies can get soggy, but they did a fine job of preventing either. The value, though, is what's going to bring me back. My significant and I spent a total of $20 including tip and had dinner to eat for 3 days.
Thai Pod is one of two above average Thai restaurants in SuGu (the other being Sweet Basil Thai), so I'll have to flip a coin now every time I go out for Thai food.Listed in: SuGu, Baby!
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Review from Lid C.
Portland, OR
2/5/2010
A Thai restaurant without fresh Thai chilies is like a movie theater without popcorn, a burger joint without ketchup, a brothel without condoms: you need one to enjoy the other. If this information had been communicated to me when I placed my takeout order and specifically asked for fresh Thai chilies, I would've canceled immediately and taken my business elsewhere. No fresh Thai chilies is a total deal breaker no matter how good the food is, much like my inability to date someone who uses your/you're incorrectly, no matter how awesome they are.
So how good was the food? Meh. The vegetables were cut entirely too big and were undercooked, the curry wasn't even close to robust and the fried rice lacked the basil goodness advertised in its name. Throw in some poor phone service and some miscommunication and you got yourself a one star review and no reason to ever return.Comment from Krit U. of Thai Pod 3/3/2010
Thanks for your honest feed back, I'm sorry to hear you did… More » -
Review from Katie M.
Portland, OR
8/14/2007
I almost didn't go here because of the name. But I'm glad I got past it.
Best pad thai I've ever had.
I'm a little biased because Thai Pod is practically right in back of my house, but I would love it even if it were miles away.
The owner is usually working and he is really nice and you can tell he just really wants you to enjoy yourself (and your food).
Their happy hour menu looks awesome (satay quesadillas?).
Helpful hint- their lunch prices are $2-$3 less thantheir dinner prices, but the portions seem almost the same.
Also, get the salad rolls. -
Review from Steve B.
Portland, OR
1/30/2009
Absolutely everything at this place is done well. We walked in, it was a bit chilly, we asked the server if he could turn up the heat. He turns up the heat and brings over a space heater for us. WTF is that!!!? This is the treatment we got as the restaurant was just about to close and we waltz in with a big order.
The food was impeccable. The menu is vast. The flavors will make your tongue sing.
Wherever you are, this place is worth the trip. It might very well be the best thai joint in this eatin' town. -
Review from Thunder P.
San Jose, CA
7/28/2007
I was out for a stroll to hit the liquor store with the guys and grab some lunch. We passed a random girl walking down thje side walk and asked her where we could get some great Thai food... she directed us to Thai Pod.
It's a nice little joint. Prices seemed reasonable, we got 5 entrees between the 3 of us (one of us is a vegan). The service was attentive and outstanding. Free refills on the sodas (they were 1.50 to start). All dishes can be ordered 1-4 stars in spiciness, we went 3s and 4s and it was pretty, damn, delicious. Having been to many Thai restaurants around the Bay Area, this was a little gem to find in Portland. -
Review from Robert C.
Beaverton, OR
8/5/2008
Okay, I avoided this place like the plague for months. Why you ask? Well, my favorite neighborhood, make that Portland area, sushi joint was in that room for a long time. I loved Sushi Cafe K. The owners were nice, the food was great, it was comfortable. The reason's they closed, I can only theorize. They were getting older, the place was not trendy, who knows.
Anyway, once I got over my loss I tried Thai Pod. It was good, the people were nice and the food was cheap! Same convenient location, different menu. The curries are especially good. Try it, you'll like it.
I must amend this review by saying that the green curry here is outstanding. Just got back from there minutes ago.
Krit is the best!Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from John R.
Portland, OR
8/16/2008
If you're in Portland and have a craving for amazingly good Thai food, this is where you go. It's a no-brainer. After sampling almost every Thai restaurant in PDX, no one can touch the consistent quality of delicious food from the Pod. Service is never less than excellent and the price is hard to beat. Virtually everything I've tasted on the menu was delicious but the Pad See Ew is the best I've ever had.
And don't forget the Thai Iced Tea!Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Erin M.
3/1/2009
Well, so far there have been eight reviews for Thai Pod, with an average around 4.5 stars. I love Thai food and walked in to their cozy, dimly lit dinning room with high expectations Sat night. There was a large, loud group in the only room available, and we dealt with the reverberations. One of the two servers frantically greeted us and took our appetizer and dinner orders about 5 minutes after we were seated. He didn't ask us if we wanted rice with the curry, nor drinks.
It's okay- I'm willing to deal with poor customer service if the food is 4.5 stars. The fish cake appetizer had a lot of potential, but was overcooked making the texture more rubbery than flaky. I was still hoping... the 4.5 will come with the entrees.
You should have see my boyfriend's face when they brought out his dish- lemongrass vegetables with mixed seafood. Literally, it was pre-cut carrots, onions, and about three mussels in a typical Thai sauce. Wow. I can't believe they could bring out a dish like that and justify calling it an entree.
The Panang curry was really good, I have to say- the only semblance of hope. Unfortunately there are enough Thai food places in this city to never return. I think Thai Pod could be 4.5, if they had a larger staff. I'm hoping the sorry excuse for a dish was the result of an understaffed kitchen. -
Review from Robyn K.
Portland, OR
11/29/2009
We had a lovely date night at Thai Pod. We were in a hurry to get to another event and we were in and out in just 45 minutes. We ordered a small Thom Kha soup first and it was on the table before we even had time to order our entrees. The Pad See Ew was lovely and my date had a spicy beef stir fry which was very garlicky and very good.
The waitstaff was attentive and quick the food was delicious, the prices were reasonable. what more can you ask?
On small issue: the bathroom is small cold, and only accessible through the dishwashing area and down some stairs. Definitely not wheelchair friendly (though the main dining area is)
Finally, we plan to go back for their happy hour (4-6 daily) with $1-1.75 beer specials and some very reasonably priced appetizers. Yum! -
Review from Theo C.
Portland, OR
9/10/2009 2 photos
I hope you don't think a 2-star rating is too raw. This is my first review and I think it is fair. This place is alright if you like your peanut butter & jelly on white bread.
I've definitely had worse thai food, but not often. The salad rolls were loosely rolled iceberg and while the peanut sauce was correct it couldn't make up for the sub par rolls. The p'nang curry was fairly decent, but again, I've had better.
I probably won't go to Thai Pod again, unless I'm in a hurry (they didn't keep us waiting and the service was excellent). Fortunately, I live near Typhoon. -
Review from Carmen M.
Tualatin, OR
9/12/2009
This is another lunch time favorite. Dang! The Pnang! That is it with these kinds of places, that if the sauce in their curries are just right, not overpowered by the chili heat, you can pour that sauce over the rice and it really doesn't matter what kind of meat you choose; chicken, beef, shrimp....it's all in the sauce. Or as Filipinos would say, in the "sabow"!!
Have their Thai Coffee too to refresh the palate and give you the next kick of caffeine going back to the office.
Small, friendly service. Restroom though is kind of a tour through the kitchen and down a rabbit hole. Kinda weird but, again...focus....it's about the food Alice! -
Review from Mike B.
Portland, OR
3/21/2011
I LOVE me some good pad thai (read my other reviews) and I've found my heaven! Hands down best pad thai in portland I've had yet. I can't speak yet for other dishes because I can't get myself to order outside of the chx pad thai. I hear it's great though! Finally!!!
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Review from Chris S.
9/4/2009
Not too shabby, Thai Pod. I wasn't sure what to think with your smallish dining area and your one employee... not to mention the almost required terrible structure of the English sentences on your menu. However, your Drunken Noodles were delicious (although WAY too much basil), and my boyfriend enjoyed his Pahd Thai. Under $20 for two people for a filling, delicious lunch? Yes.
We were lucky enough to arrive and be served just before the lunch rush, but I can't imagine the wait when they are busy...
YUM (pro): Good food, good prices
THAI AGAIN (con): small staff could mean a wait -
Review from Viv H.
Portland, OR
3/25/2011
love their pad see ew and everything is reasonably priced! The service is always polite and fast!
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Review from Bill E.
Portland, OR
2/3/2011
There are so many great Thai restaurants in this town, so why waste a meal here. An hour after eating Basil Chicken, I still taste only onions and garlic. Ick.
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Review from Josie V.
10/28/2010
I love how convenient to work this place is for me! The people that work here are awesome, including the owner who's there normally. Great dishes that are consistently prepared. I love their curry duck!
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Review from Marie-Louise R.
Portland, OR
2/27/2011
My boyfriend and I live in the area and can't go more than a week without a trip to Thai Pod. There are many wonderful Thai restaurants in Portland but Thai Pod has won our hearts. The staff are always friendly if not verbose and I think the service is pretty speedy for the amount of food you get. The fresh lettuce wraps are to die for and I can't not order the pad thai with tofu and veggies. I've tried and failed many times. Their curries are all delicious as is their drunken noodles. They offer a fair price for the amount of food they give you and the place is never crowded which may not be a good sign for business but always makes me happy :)
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Review from tonia f.
White Salmon, WA
9/11/2009
I'm shocked that people are giving Thai Pod such great ratings, but then again maybe they don't know good Thai food. Maybe they'll eat ANY Thai food and don't know any different. Someone here compared the Thai here to peanut butter and jelly on white bread. I'd agree, but I would clarify that at times I like PB&Js. This was like drinking Sunny Delight when you're expecting fresh squeezed orange juice.
I, too, love Typhoon and some other very quality Thai joints in PDX. There are too many, that I definitely won't be back to this one.
I had an uneasy feeling as soon as the vegetable spring rolls arrived at the table that I might be disappointed. Shaved iceberg lettuce with a couple carrot shavings and a tiny speck of tofu wrapped in what looked like pre-wrapped rolls. Blah.
We ordered the Green Curry w/chicken and Drunken Noodles w/beef. The drunken noodles were stuck together without sauce in between the stuck noodles. The beef tasted pretty bland, as if not even marinated, but sauteed last minute with spicy chili sauce for surface flavor.
The Green Curry seemed watered-down with chicken broth or something. It was not at all creamy and rich, but watery with bottled spice flavor. There were way too many bamboo shoots and not enough of everything else. The chicken was also bland and tasted as if it wasn't marinated.
When the server came and asked "Is it good?" I just nodded, though I knew in my gut that I wasn't satisfied. I couldn't say anything there. I was just happy to get something in my tummy as I was starved. Unfortunately it felt like wasted calories! -
Review from Ben L.
Portland, OR
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
got takeout for lunch. pad thai - I use it as my thermometer of whether or not a thai place is worth it. Verdict? It was good, I'd go back and try something else.
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Review from Zach N.
Portland, OR
Updated - 3/11/2010
Consistently has gone downhill. Still fine but I have not been impressed by anything here in awhile. Last time I went my green curry chicken was neon green and watery.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/5/2009
I am updating my review of Thai Pod because after last review I was contacted by the owner Krit. He… Read more »
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Review from Brendan N.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2010
Friendly and fast, clean and nice atmosphere, authentic Thai food - DELICIOUS - best coconut soup I've ever had. Not busy at all but it was a Monday night.
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Review from Barry S.
Portland, OR
7/6/2009
Love it. Go. It's good.
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Review from Renee B.
Portland, OR
8/20/2008
I really liked this place, we got take out from here a few weeks ago. The menu has a ton of choices, it was hard to make decisions! The staff made sure I had water while I was waiting and was very friendly. The food was great, loved the red curry. We will definitely be back!
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Review from Josh D.
Denton, TX
9/8/2010
Ridiculous Pad Thai! Flavor party chili sauce (comes on multiple dishes) and homemade service. The pad thai had crushed peanuts, beansprouts, and lime to add the already amazing sauce and carefully cooked flat noodles. Excellent dinner experience. Wish they were located in a more active area of town.
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Review from Aubrey P.
Seattle, WA
11/6/2007
I've been here 3 or 4 times. The atmosphere is cozy and clean. The food and service is always great. One of my favorite Thai places in Portland. The BBQ chicken is especially good.
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Review from Charles V.
Portland, OR
7/7/2010
Always tasty! Easy, simple Thai food and with lots of selections and reasonable. Pad Thai is a favorite along with the fresh (salad) rolls, spring rolls and the Tom Yum soup! For many of the dishes you are able to customize to your likes (protein, spiciness, noodle type). Select from veggie+tofu combos all the way to the chicken+beef+pork super meat lover choice, so really something to suit everyone.
Service is always good and usually very fast. Decor is pretty cute but some might not find the bathroom that's through the dish kitchen and down a couple stairs so appealing but it doesn't bother me any. Maybe cause this space used to be my girlfriend's favorite italian restaurant back in the day (RIP Paparazzi) so she gave me a head's up about it.
Great for take out, too! Good happy hour prices on drinks and apps from 4-6. -
Review from d. n.
Portland, OR
12/14/2009
Thank you, Yelpers, for directing me to Thai Pod with your accurate reviews of this restaurant. Thai Pod is in the neighborhood near our hotel so we ordered take out and I didn't expect our food to be as good as it was. Dang, you all in Portland don't mess around! We ordered a specialty peanut curry with salmon, vegetarian fried spring rolls, fresh crap pad thai, tom kha w/ chicken and everything was delicious and very flavorful. We will be back!
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Review from Nickole C.
Portland, OR
2/17/2010
I have only been here once but the food was decent and the price was reasonable...good space for a group! Happy hour with some interesting stuff on the happy hour menu. Solid choice if your in the area.
